Safety wringer mechanism



E. c. ROCKE SAFETY WRINGER MECHANISM April 21, 1925.

Filed Dec. 19. 1921 2 Sheets-She a .ZNVENT A? [m4 M Q rd" J rryis,

April 21, 1925.

E. c. ROCKE SAFETY WRINGER MECHANISM Filed Dec. 19, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

EDWIN C. ROCKE, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

. SAFETY wmiwenn Mncrmms'rc.

Application filed December 19, 1921. Seriallfo. 523,253.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known .that EDWIN G. ROCKE, citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Bloomington, in the county of-Mc- 5 Lean and Stateof Illinois, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in SafetyWringer Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety Wringers,

and more particularly to a type of wringer which. has additional wearcompensating means for the wringer rolls. I

The object of my invention is in the combination with a special safetywringer mechanism, of an adjustable yoke structure in connection withspring-pressed bearing blocks for compensating for the wear on theconventional wringer rolls.

Another object of my invention is in the provision of a spring-pressedsafety closure member for housing the wringer.

1 Other objects of my invention will appear in the followingspecification, in congears of the nection with the annexed drawings, in"

which:- i 1 Figure 1 is a front elevation of thesafety wringer.

Figure thereof. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line (AA) ofFigure 2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view on the v line (BB) ofFigure 2. j 4

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line (CC) of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail of my 'spe cial yoke member.

Referring to the drawings,. in Figure 1 is 40. shown generally a safetywringer formed intwomain sections, namely 10 and 11.

2 is a longitudinal sectional view The section 10,we will call thestationary portion, or basefwhile the portion 11 will be hereafterreferred to as the movable sec- 45 tion. Thisbase has a semi-circularbottom and 15 integrally cast therewith, and forming the sides of theentire wringer. The downwardly projecting lugs 16 and- 17 and theadjustable screw mechanism 18, form the attachment meansefor thewringer, with the 13, with upwardly projecting portions 14 conventionalwashing machine, (not shown). A guide member is shown at 19, wherebyarticles passing between the wringer rolls.

will be carried therefrom. The upwardly projecting portions 20 and 21,cast integrally with the base 10, form guide-ways for bear- 1 ing blocks22 and 23, for the power shaft 24, which carries thereon the power roll25. The outer end 26, of the power shaft is capable of engagement withthe power shaft of the washlng machine (not shown).

Gears27 and-28 have positive connection with the power shaft and engagesimilar gears 29 and 30 mounted on the end of the shaft 31, whichcarries the upper or movable wringer roll 32. The upper'or movableportion' 11 of the wringer isformed in such manner that it inoasessubstantially all of the wringer mechanism, besides the wringer rolls,that is not covered by the base portion. This upper casing is pivotallymounted at 33 and 34, to the side portions 14 and direction ontheselugs. A lever 35 has a looseconnection as at 35. The lever 35 at itsinner end 36, is fashioned to engage apertures 37 and 38 in the side 14,and upper casing 11 respectively. The springh39 seats within the lug 33,which is one of t e-pivots .for. the upper casing, said spring abuttlngat its otherend, the inner side of the lever 35. The above levermechanism provides means for engaging it in operative position withrelation tothe lower casing. An adjustable screw 40 projects throughing, and has its inner or threaded end 41 screwed into a block 42, whichforms the. intermediate portion of a spring bar 43.

This spring bar rests at either end upon wooden plugs 44, and 45, whichform the bearings for the shaft 31, of the upper wringer roll.- Theadjustable screw 40, above described, provides means for applying apressure to the wooden bearing blocks. The two coil springs 46 and 47engage with seating lugs 48 and 49 respectively, cast integrally withthe upper casing, said springs having their lower ends abutting theupper side of the spring bar 43. Integrally cast with the upper casingand in- 15 respectively, and is free to pivot in either the uppercasingand holding an aperture in the upper casteriorly thereof areguide-ways 50 and 51 which carry the yoke members 52 shown in detail inFigure 6 of the drawings. These yoke members, as shown in Figure 2 carrythe wooden bearing blocks 44 and 45 therein, and inasmuch as the upperends of the yoke members have adjustable connection as at 53 with thenuts 54, they form an adjustable means for supporting the upper wringer.roll shaft 31. In the drawings I have shown this adjustable connectionby means of screws passing through the upper end of the yoke member, andtheir threaded portions engaging nut members. Also I have shown smallcoil springs 55 surrounding the screws. lVithin the contemplation of myinvention, and perhaps more practicable of application, would be thecasting of the yoke and screw member, as a unit, and for this reason Iwish to: include the screws as portions of the yoke, when I refer tosaid yoke members, hereafter. Brackets 56 have positive connection withthe power shaft 24 and enclose the outer end of the power roll. Thesebrackets are bifurcated at their upper ends, with the result that theypartially enclose the outer ends of the upper or movable wringer roll.As is shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the peculiar form of the up percasing and the base portion leaves an opening at the side thereof. Thisopening is necessary forthe pivotal movement of the upper casing, andthe relationshi of the gears of both sections. Should t is space he leftopen, accidents might occur due to the exposure of the revolving gears.I have provided a special means for enclosing this opening, which is ateither side.

The closure plate 57 having the arms 58 and 59, is pivotally mounted onthe small shaft 60 which engages hubs 61 in the base portlon 10. A coilspring 62 surrounding this shaft has one of its ends abutting the baseportion and'the other, the closure plate, and in such manner, that'saidclosure plate is held in the aperture formed by the upper and lowerportions. The peculiar projection 63 on the closure plate, engages theside 14 of the wringer, and determines the exact inner position thereof.a

The operation of the safety wringer is, as follows:

In any emergency, or rather, should it be desired that the wringer rollsbe thrust apart, the lever 35 is struck at its upper end, therebydrawing the inner end 36 out of engagement with the aperture 38 in theupper or movable casing. The pressure between the wringer rolls causesthe upper-casing to be thrown outwardly at either side, therebydisengaging the two rolls. there is pressure applied at all times by thesprin bar 43, on the bearing blocks 44, and 45, w en the "two rolls areagain thrust together with some efi'ort, the spring pressed Inasmuchaslever, or rather its inner end 36 thereof, will again engage theaperture in the upper casing and again locate positively said casin withrelation to the base portion.

rior to the forming of my special yoke means, compensating for wear onthe wringer rolls, the wooden bearing blocks 44 and 45 had a fixedposition, or rather a fixed lower position with relation to the shaft31, the usual structure being to have a screw passing entirely throughthe upper casing and acting as a seat for the shaft 31 at either end.With the above structure, any wear upon the wringer rolls above a slightamount, could only be taken care of by the insertion of new rolls, butwith my special yoke mechanism, by loosening the nuts 54, it is possibleto lower either end of the shaft 31, and at the same time, the upperwringer roll, thereby compensating for any wear at any point on eitherroll.

It may be seen from the above that, no matter how worn the rolls maybecome, or at whatever point thereon, my special yoke mechanism willcompensate therefor, and instead of having to replace the wringer rollsafter they have been .slightly worn, I am able to use them until theyare entirely worn out.

What I claim is 1. In a wringer mechanism, in combination, a baseportion, a lower roll therein, and upwardly projecting end members, anupper casing pivotally mounted on said end members, said upper casinghaving an adjustable upper wringer roll, bearing blocks for the saidupper wringer roll, spring plates abutting the upper sides of thebearings, adjustable means for tensioning said spring plates, and meansfor positioning either end of the upper wringer roll with relation tosaid lower roll, including yoke members, and adjustable means betweensaid yoke members and the upper casing.

2. In a safety wringer mechanism, in combination, a base portion,including a lower roll therein, and upwardly projecting side portions,an upper casing pivotally attached to said side portions, a tensionlever providing engagement means between the upper casing and baseportion, an upper wringer roll, adjustable spring means for applyingpressure upon both ends of the uppper wringer roll simultaneously, andmeans including yoke members for adjustably locating either end of theupper wringer roll with relation to the lower roll.

3. In a safety wringer mechanism, in combination, a base portionincluding therein a lower roll having gear connections at one end, saidbase portion having an opening therein adjacent said gears, an uppercasing pivotally mounted with relation to said ower casing includingtherein a. springpressed upper wringer roll, gears on one end of theupper wringer roll meshing with members, means on the base portioncapable of engagement or disengagement Withthe upper casing toprovidemeans for holding said portions in operative position, and aspfing-tensioned member related to the upper and lower casings in' amanner to providemeans for closing the opening between 10 said members..7 a g i y In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

m a, EDWIN 0Q Room.

